The present invention refers to a device that furnishes the spatial and temporal coordinates of the points of the point in a transparent plate that is touched by the tip of a probe. Such a device is particularly useful in the evaluation of motor performance, alternative or augmented communication systems, map-making, support systems for special teaching techniques, etc.
The integration between several sources of sensory information and the production of motor responses is a physiological function required in many common situations, with applications in the research of motor behavior in normal and handicapped individuals.
One line of research of said function is based on the touch, with probe tips, of targets of different shapes, dimensions, distances and positions, said targets being either static or dynamic. Static targets comprise figures printed or drawn in sheets of paper or cardboard, while dynamic targets can be shown in video monitors or projection devices. The act of touching can be triggered by visual or auditory stimuli, so as to allow the detection of correlations between the subject's responses to standardized stimuli. Said investigations are carried out having in mind the clinical analysis and remedial action in dysfunction-bearing populations. However, said research has been hindered by the lack of available specific and sophisticated tools that—owing to their high cost—are seldom available in areas with poor socio-economic conditions.
In view of the preceding, the invention has the main objective of providing a low-cost device that can be employed either with static or dynamic targets, and suitable for connection to a personal computer.